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Hotline Tip: What Is A Foreign Commissioner Of Deeds?

What is a Foreign Commissioner of Deeds, and what do they do? – R.D., Pittsburgh, PA

A commissioner of deeds is appointed by the commissioning agency that oversees Notaries Public. They are authorized to take acknowledgements and oaths outside of their state, which will then be recorded within the state. Not all states appoint Commissioners of Deeds. In Pennsylvania, the commission of the last commissioner of deeds expired in 2008, six years after the position was abolished in 2002.